A device for offsetting sheets as they are conveyed in a paper path toward a stacker includes a narrow channel mounted to a set of linked arms which when moved in a process direction (upstream-downstream) articulate in a cross process direction (inboard-outboard) to register the sheets at various locations for stacking or finish processing. The linked arms keep the channel parallel to the paper path at all times regardless of inboard-outboard offset.

A stacker device in an items processing system is a last station of a mail line. The stacker device has a receiving plate to receive flat items, a longitudinal alignment wall, graduated in at least two steps, at a rear side of the stacker device, and a stop wall that is arranged at the downstream end of the receiving plate.

According to an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus includes a transport unit and a holding unit. The transport unit transports a first sheet to a first position. The transport unit transports a second sheet, which is transported after the first sheet, to a second position displaced to the upstream side of a sheet transport direction relative to the first position. The transport unit transports a third sheet, which is transported after the second sheet, to a third position displaced to the downstream side of the sheet transport direction relative to the second position. In the case where the second sheet is transported to the second position, the holding unit holds the first sheet at the first position. In the case where the third sheet is transported to the third position, the holding unit holds the second sheet at the second position.

An image forming apparatus comprises a printing module, a transporting mechanism and a sorting module. The printing module prints data on media in order. The transporting mechanism transports the media past the printing module. The sorting module is disposed downstream of the transporting mechanism, and comprises an output mechanism, a rack and a driving pinion. The output mechanism transports the media out in a first direction. The rack is connected to the output mechanism. The driving pinion meshing with the rack drives the rack and the output mechanism to reciprocate in a second direction, different from the first direction, to sort the media into stacks. Thus, the sorting function can be achieved without providing a larger space and moving a discharge tray, and this is advantageous to the miniaturization of the image forming apparatus.

A stacker device in an items processing system is a last station of a mail line. The stacker device has a receiving plate to receive flat items, a longitudinal alignment wall, graduated in at least two steps, at a rear side of the stacker device, and a stop wall that is arranged at the downstream end of the receiving plate.

An image forming apparatus includes plural medium transport paths that branch at a predetermined branching position and along which a medium is transported in a curved state; a switching member disposed at the branching position and including a guide surface that allows the medium to be transported along one of the medium transport paths, the switching member switching between the medium transport paths; an output unit that outputs the medium toward a stacking portion, on which the medium is to be stacked, while corrugating the medium; and a guide portion that guides the medium from the branching position toward the output unit in a region in which the medium is corrugated.

By adding a distinction for every sheet bundle of a same delivery destination and ejecting the sheet bundle, a sorting burden on the user is reduced. According to a control method of a printing apparatus, a job including predetermined information is received, an image is printed to a sheet by executing the received job, and on the basis of the predetermined information included in the received job, the sheet which is printed by executing the job is ejected to a position different from that of a sheet ejected before the sheet.

In a post-processing device (sheet discharge device), a pile thickness calculating section calculates, from a type and the number of paper sheets discharged through a sheet output port, a thickness of a pile, at its leading end, of sets of paper sheets on a sheet output tray (piling section), calculates a thickness of the pile, at its trailing end, of sets of paper sheets on the sheet output tray from an amount of movement of a lifting section, and calculates an angle of inclination of the uppermost set of paper sheets in the pile from the thicknesses of the pile at its leading and trailing ends, a height of inclination of the sheet output tray, and a length of the paper sheets. The control section controls the sheet discharge section to change a manner of discharging a subsequent set of paper sheets according to the calculated angle of inclination.

A sheet sorting apparatus includes a discharge port through which sheets are discharged, a stacking tray on which the sheets discharged from the discharge port are stacked, a sheet sorting member provided on a stacking surface on which the sheets of the stacking tray are stacked, and an operation mechanism for operating the sheet sorting member. The sheet sorting member is provided to be able to rise from the stacking surface by employing one end of the sheet sorting member as a pivot point, at a position at which the sheets fall from the discharge port. The sheet sorting member rises from the stacking surface by the operation mechanism, thereby forming an inclined surface, guiding the sheets placed on the inclined surface along the inclined surface, and shifting the sheets stacked on the stacking tray to a discharge direction of the sheets and a direction perpendicular to the discharge direction.

A printing apparatus that can improve usability includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a print medium; a first stacking part configured to allow the print medium discharged in a first direction by the conveyance unit to be stacked thereon and to move in the first direction from an accommodated position; and a control unit configured to control stacking of the print medium on the first stacking part, wherein, in a state where the first stacking part is moved in the first direction from the accommodated position, the control unit executes a first operation for stacking the print medium at a first position on the first stacking part, and a second operation for stacking the print medium at a second position on the first stacking part, the second position being different from the first position in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.